


Egypt

by areeskimosreal



Category: Peter Kay's Car Share (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-12-14 21:27:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21022520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/areeskimosreal/pseuds/areeskimosreal
Summary: John and Kayleigh have an argument over something trivial. They get maternal support, of sorts.





	Egypt

" Your Auntie Anne is a riot John, I thought I was gonna wet myself at one point "

" Aye she's fun right enough, doesn't take things too seriously that's for sure "

" Some of those stories, were you really scared of Mister Blobby ? "

" No " John said indignantly.

" So hiding behind the sofa was co incidental was it ?"

" It was the voice okay ?"

" Eh ?

" Blobby, blobby blobby, gives me the creeps " John shivered.

" Seriously ?"

" Aye okay ?"

" Okay mister huffy, okay " 

John shuffled in his seat .

"Blobby ,blobby ,blobby " Kayleigh suddenly said.

" Ha bloody ha , I knew that was coming"

" Sorree, couldn't resist it " 

John just shook his head it was difficulty to get angry with Kayleigh, not impossible,just difficult.

" I hope she sends you those pictures "

" I hope she doesn't, they're bloody embarrassing love, some of them were from 20 odd years ago "

" You looked good in most of them John "

" Aye most, but it's the others I'm dreading anyone seeing " 

" You're way too self critical John, everyone had velour tracksuits then, they were in fashion " 

" Really ?" John smiled " were they ?" 

" No just kidding, they were never in fashion "

" Bitch " 

" Steady Redders, you'll be in the spare room with language like that "

Both of them chuckled.

" How come she has pictures and your mum doesn't ?"

" It's the ones that I sent to our Julie that she's got, her and I had smartphones a long time ago, and cause we're the same age, we used to share photos and stuff, she must have sent them on to me Auntie Anne"

" And when Julie gets in she'll send them back to you "

" Well that's the plan " 

"I hope she remembers " Kayleigh smiled.

" I hope she doesn't''

" Well we'll find out soon Johnathan "

" Aye we will that, I've got my phone set so they go into my private folder, here, " John handed Kayleigh his phone." You know the passcode number "

" Blobby, Blobby, Blobby " Kayleigh suddenly shouted.

" Wasn't funny the first time love " 

" Aye okay then John "

Kayleigh could see a smile on John's face.

TWO HOURS LATER.

" This is effing stupid Kayleigh, Kayleigh are you listening ? " John shouted up the stairs.

A few minutes later Kayleigh appeared carrying a holdall and her overnight case.

" Oh for fuck sake Kayleigh grow up this is no way to………."

" I don't want to discuss it anymore, you've made your position quite clear John, I know what or should I say who is more important to you ?"

" You're talking shite, this has nothing to do with who's more imp…….." 

" Delete them then " 

" No, I will not , I've explained why I've got ………"

" Delete them " 

" No" 

" Right, I'll be at Mandy's until you come to your senses " 

" This is stupid " 

" So you said "

" If you go ,you'll be making a big mistake Kayleigh "

" Not as big as the one I made marrying you"

Kayleigh saw the pain on John's face when she said what she said, and she wished she hadn't, but she was too stubborn to apologise.

" Oh right " John said trying to hide his hurt, " if that's how you feel you best go then "

He walked back into the living room, slamming the door behind him, slumped into his chair and turned up his music. He neither saw nor heard Kayleigh leave.

Kayleigh cried as she drove to Mandy's, partly because John had driven her to this, and partly because she knew what she had said had hurt him deeply. As she pulled her Fiesta up outside Mandy's she noticed her mums car in the drive, Steve waved from under the bonnet. Kayleigh waved back, she knew that if her mum was here, she'd see things from Kayleigh's point of view. Kayleigh quickly explained to Mandy what she had found and why she had ended up at Mandy's door, and then her and her mother continued the conversation as they sat in the living room.

" What, porn pictures ?" Mandy said trying to hide her smile.

" No" 

" Does he have nudes , like the ones you have of him ? " Mandy asked.

" You have nudes of John on your phone ?" Brenda, Kayleigh's mum asked in astonishment.

Kayleigh didn't need to answer, her blush answered for her.

" It's not full nudes mum it's more just di……."

" Mandy !!" Kayleigh interrupted. 

" What ?"

" I told you that in confidence "

" Do you ?" Brenda asked again.

" It's just a bit of fun mum, he's got a few of me too"

" Aye but you posed for yours though " Mandy said relishing in Kayleigh's embarrassment. 

" Anyway " Brenda said loudly " what pictures do you want him to delete?"

" Holiday pictures, him and her in Egypt "

" Holiday pictures, are you for real ?"

" Yes Mandy, I am " 

" Plain ordinary holiday pictures ?" Brenda looked surprised.

" Aye "

" Egypt ?"

" Him and her went there a few years ago, and he kept the photos in his private folder"

" How did you find them then ?"

" He told me the password ages ago "

" So it's not that private then is it ?" Brenda said sipping her tea.

" That's not the point "

" What is the point then love, what's your issue ?"

" He has pictures of her !!!!"

" What did he say when you confronted him ?"

" They're reminders of the best place that he's ever been, he loves ancient Egypt and all that crap "

" He does " Mandy said." He told me and Steve all about it one night at dinner, you we're here n'all"

" I wasn't listening obviously "

" And who's fault is that eh ?"

" It's got eff all to wi you Mand "

" Enough the two of you" Brenda said to her two daughters.

" John wants to keep them because of where they were taken because he loves Egypt ,is that right ? " 

" Yes " Kayleigh said shrugging. 

" Not because she's in them , right ?"

" Right " Kayleigh answered.

" You're completely out of order if you ask me ?" Mandy said.

" Well I didn't Mandy, butt out " Kayleigh looked expectantly towards her mother.

" I agree" Brenda eventually said .

" See Mandy, butt out " Kayleigh interrupted. 

" No Kay, I agree wi Mandy, you're being stupid, stubborn and stupid , you take after your dad in so many ways "

" Every time he looks at them he's seeing her " Kayleigh was getting quite loud.

" So you say, but I bet every time he looks at them he's remembering pyramids, camels and a trip in the desert, she just happened to be there"

" I think he's seeing her in them " 

" Aye but what you think ain't always right, yet again insane jealousy is ruling your heart, you need….."

" I'm not insanely jealous " 

" No but you are bloody interrupting me, again "

" I asked him nicely if he would delete them, for me " 

" Really?"

" Yes "

" You don't do nicely when you're irate , you do in your face, you always have "

" I did not do irate,I was calm "

" Oh aye were you , I think the panda eyes, and them " Brenda pointed to Kayleigh's bags in the hall " say irate, with a big capital I. "

" All he had to do was delete them, and he would have if he loved me !!" 

" And you think that's rational do you, make the man delete pictures of his favourite ever place, because she is in them ? " 

" She's only in two of them mum " Mandy piped up like a three year old telling tales.

" Only two, and you want him to delete them all ?"

" She was there with him !!"

" And you honestly think that's fair ? you need to take a good look at yourself Kay, you definitely have issues about her, he's quite happy with her being in the past, he's gotten over her, and you, you never even met her and you're still insanely jealous, "

" I'm not….."

" Oh but you are love, you so are "

Brenda got up and headed for the kitchen, Mandy followed leaving Kayleigh thinking.

" Forgot your effing key did you ?" John said as he angrily swung the front door open.

" I don't have a key John " 

" Oh mum, I thought you were Kayleigh"

" Wi a face like that on you, I'm glad I'm not "

Joan stood looking at John for a minute,

" Best you put the kettle on and we'll chat son eh?"

" Aye, I'll do that "

Ten minutes later having listened to John, Joan put her cup down on the side table.

" Do you remember uncle Norman ?"

" What, I mean yes I do ?"

" He was ,different, shall we say ?"

" Oh aye old uncle knob end .."

" John !!"

" That's what dad called him "

" I don't care what dad called him, don't you do it " 

" Okay, looking back now though, he was a bit strange, wasn't he ?"

" A lecherous old pig, thought he was god's gift "

" Slip on shoes, safari suit, and the world's worst wig "

" Remember Teresa's wedding ?"

" Everyone remembers uncle knob, Norman at that do "

"I'll never forget when him and great aunt Mary swapped clothes, and they did drag right through the reception" Joan smiled.

" And he refused to change back, said he should have been a woman " 

" Your dad was convinced he batted for the other side, he said he caught him in make up once" Joan was almost laughing.

" I remember his cheeks were always rosy right enough " John reminisced 

" Here John do you have any pictures of him ?"

Joan chuckled.

" God mam no, why ?"

" But you remember him and Teresa's wedding ?"

" Of course I do "

" Just like you'd remember Egypt eh ?". Joan's smile had gone and she stared at John.

" How do you do that ?" John said as he put his cup down.

" I think logically, like you do "

" I don't even look at them you know ?"

" But you still want to keep them ?"

" I don't think I should have to delete them because she doesn't like them "

" She, is your wife "

" She wasn't then"

" True enough, but she feels threatened by them " 

"She shouldn't "

" That's true as well, and if she was logical, like we are, she wouldn't be, but she isn't, so she is "

" That's my favourite place in the world, when I look at them I see Cairo, Karnak, the sphinx and the pyramids, a boat trip on the Nile, riding a camel in the Sahara, that's what I see, what I remember "

" She sees you smiling, arm in arm with the woman you loved then, a woman who loved you and was going to marry you, a woman that you had feelings for,the same feelings you have for Kayleigh, and it hurts her to think you might be remembering them , remembering her and how it was"

" But that's not how it is "

" I know, and you know but you won't convince her, you do know that don't you ?"

" Why can't she be logical just for once ?"

" Because then she wouldn't be Kayleigh, she'd be a little colder, a little less romantic and wouldn't show her feelings like she does, she'd be like me John "

John smiled and shook his head.

" And you wouldn't want that would you ?"

" No "

" So, you remembered uncle knob end with no pictures, I'm sure you'll remember Cairo without them, won't you ?"

" Aye probably "

" Worth taking the chance I think "

" Yes it is "

" She is John, she is. Right I'll see myself out, your phone is on the hall table by the way " 

" Thanks mam"

" That's what mams do, well logical ones anyway, bye love, oh and one other thing John "

" What ?"

" Why not take Kayleigh to Egypt, make new memories in old places ?"

" Bye mam "

John smiled as he heard the front door close, Joan was right again. 

" So bottom line is ,you two think I'm overreacting ?"

" Yes" Brenda said bluntly.

" But when I see………."

" Kayleigh, sit down a minute "

" Okay " Kayleigh pulled out the chair opposite her mother.

" Do you doubt for one second that John loves you, only you ?"

" No " 

" Do you think he still loves Charlene ?"

" Charlotte "

" Whatever, do you think he still does ?"

" No, he says he doesn't even think of her, and I believe him "

" So ?"

" So what ?"

" So why are you doing this to him eh ?, he never hid his pictures, he never stopped you from seeing them, Mandy said he actually showed them to all of you one night, and explained the places to you, so why do this? its not sensible love , you can't just walk out because of something this bloody trivial, god help you if things ever get really tough"

" She almost got him " Kayleigh replied as she started to cry.

" Almost ?" 

" She was this close to being Missus Redmond " Kayleigh made the universally recognised gesture with her finger and thumb." and if John had married her he would never have looked in my direction, and where would I be then, John is the only man for me, you all know that, just like I do, and when I see them all smiles , flip flops, Ray Bans and loving, I realise that she lost him, do you get it mum, do you see ?, she lost him, and she's way better than me, if she lost him so could I "

" So to prove how much you love him and want to keep him, you walk out to sleep on your sisters couch , does that sound even remotely sensible to you?"

" She is so much better than me, she has a degree, works in finance, speaks three languages fluently, is a member of mensa, drinks posh tea, and knows a good wine from bad,and she still couldn't keep him, she still lost him mum, and deep down I know he's going to wisen up to me someday and walk, I don't need her smiling at me in bloody pictures to remind me of my fate , of how it's going to be"

" I'm never going to walk away from you Kayleigh " John's deep voice took mother and daughter by surprise, they turned to see him standing teary eyed in the hall, Mandy standing arm in arm with him.

" How can you think I would ? " 

He continued as he walked into the kitchen. 

Brenda smiled at John and squeezed his hand as she left, Mandy gently closed the door behind her.

" She couldn't keep you with all she had , how can I ?"

" You have things she could only dream of having, attributes she'd die for " 

" Such as ?"

" Humour, clever as she was she had no sense of humour, she made me smile on occasion, you make me laugh, you cheer me up, you're fun to be around, you have god knows how many friends, I mean we can't go shopping, out for a meal, out for a drink or just go walking without stopping every bloody minute to talk to your friends, she had 5 or 6 and they were backstabbing bitches, you have personality, she was sadly lacking in that department " 

John looked to see the door was closed.

" You're sexy " he whispered " she was pretty, but you're beautiful and sexy, and you've got something vibrant, something exciting, something I need, you have something special , you have …."

" You " Kayleigh smiled.

" Yea you've got me, she never really did "

" But I have " she beamed.

" You told me once that you almost gave up, that you were set to say yes to the next loser, knowing full well that they weren't the one, just so you could belong to someone, do you remember that ?"

Kayleigh nodded wiping her eyes.

" I went one step further than you , I did it with Charlotte , I actually asked her, because I thought it was my chance, even though I knew I shouldn't have " 

" You felt the same , the panic of never belonging, why not tell me ?"

" I just have "

" So she never really had you, not like I have?"

" No, not really for all she had I never fell for her like I did for you, I never felt for her like I feel for you, I've never loved anyone the way I love you, I never could, I never will, you're stuck with me forever" 

Kayleigh leapt into John's arms, they held each other tight.

A few minutes later they walked into the living room, 

" You going home I take it ?"

" Yes " John and Kayleigh said together.

" Any plans tonight ?"

" You can't ask things like that mum " Mandy said in astonishment .

" We're planning a holiday if you must know ?" Kayleigh replied.

" Egypt by any chance ?" Brenda enquired smiling.

" Funnily enough yes, how did you know ?"

" Mothers intuition Kayleigh, mother's intuition "

Kayleigh and Mandy nodded knowingly. John just stood looking perplexed.. 


End file.
